Gokyo Valley Trekking

Mysterious and Exotic country of Nepal is an aspiration for every mountain lover and trekker in the world. It is home to the majestic Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world. The Gokyo Ri Trek is less travelled than the more traditional Everest Base Camp Trek, but offers similar views and more solitude along the trail. Gokyo Ri Trekking in Everest explores the breathtaking Gokyo valley which is adjacent to Khumbu. Gokyo is a scenic land with shimmering turquoise lakes, moonscape-like glaciers and stunning mountain vistas. The 360-degree view from Gokyo Ridge is one of the best views in the Khumbu!

The hike to the high vantage point of Gokyo Ri (5350-m) rewards with views of four of the eight highest mountains on earth – all in one panorama!. One can view the grand Everest (8848-m) and the three other Himalayan giants – Cho Oyu (8153-m), Lhotse (8501-m), Makalu (8463-m) and some great Glaciers, mainly the Ngozumpa Glacier. The view of the tremendous ice ridge between Cho Oyu and Gyachung kang (7922m) from this trek is considered one of the most dramatic panoramas in the Khumbu region. The Gokyo Ri Trek is sure to leave you awe inspired with its magnificent views of the Mountains along with the shimmering turquoise lakes.

The optional excursion to the fourth and the fifth Lake of Gokyo can also be a very exciting adventure in this region. The Gokyo Trek can also be extended to cross the Chola pass trek to Everest base camp in the Khumbu Region.

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Welcome to the beautiful country Nepal. Upon our arrival at Kathmandu, we will be picked up from Tribhuvan International Airport to our hotels. After the hotel check in, we will have a short arrival briefing along with it, we will complete any outstanding formalities for the trek. After the short orientation, we are free to rest in the comfort of our hotel or stroll around to explore the vibrant surroundings. In the evening, we will have a wonderful welcome dinner at an authentic Nepali restaurant while enjoying beautiful cultural dances.

Day 02: Sightseeing / Cultural Day in Kathmandu Valley

We will meet our guide for the tour around the UNESCO World Heritage sites listed in Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu has various Temples, Palaces and Stupas. The culture of the city shows the unique fusion of Hindu and Buddhist influences. The intricately carved art and designs of the structures build in medieval time shows the rich architectural skills. We will have ample of time to discover this mystical city in our own pace. After the tour, we will be meeting our guide, who will be with us for the entire trek. He will give the briefing for the trek, which will help our final trek preparation.

Day 03: Fly to Lukla (2845 m) / Start Trekking to Phakding (2610m)

We take an early morning flight to Lukla. The 30 to 40 minute long flight from Kathmandu to Lukla is an exciting flight with a marvelous view of the eastern Himalayas. We meet our rest of the crew members in Lukla. We explore the surrounding town before starting our trek to Phakding. Our trek starts with a downhill walk towards the Dudh Koshi, a raging river that flows from the highest peaks. The broad and well-marked trail meanders around fields of potatoes and buckwheat and passes through small villages, as we pass rows of tree dahlia. We cross a suspension bridge over the Thado Koshi River viewing the beautiful peak of Kusum Kangru (6367m) to ascend towards Ghat. Further, we cross a ridge marked with painted Mani stones to finally arrive at Phakding, to spend our night. We have an easy short walk today to help our body adjust to the sudden rise of altitude. (3 hrs.)

Day 04: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3420m)

We start the day from Phakding by crossing the Dudh Koshi River to walk through blue pine rhododendron forest . We cross the Dudh Koshi River at the end of Phakdingma enjoying the great views of Kusum Kanguru and Thamserku. From Chumao till the next village of Monjo (2800m) the trail drops steeply to cross Monjo Khola. In Monjo the trail crosses a small rocky saddle to enter the Sagarmatha National Park and abruptly descends to re-cross the Dudh Kosi at Jorsale (2804m). Beyond Jorsale the trail undulates up until the confluence of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers is reached. Above the bridge the trail winds up the steep spur between the two rivers through sparse forest. As our ascent towards Namche Bazaar continues, the magnificent sight of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse Tawache, and many other fabulous mountains become visible for the first time. We spend our night at a lodge in Namche, a prosperous trading town and the capital of the Khumbu Region. (6:30 hrs)

Day 05 : Namche Bazaar / Acclimatization (3440m)

The prosperous town of Namche offers various facilities like Internet, ATMs, Restaurants, Bakeries and colorful shops. There is plenty to do around Namche Bazaar and a day should be spent here acclimatizing. We get an opportunity to witness the local lifestyle and culture of the mountain people, enjoy the yummy bakery items and pay a visit to the Tourist Visitor Center to gain some knowledge about the Everest region. While at Namche, we should not miss the opportunity to view the spectacular sunrise and sunset over the Himalayas from the National Park head quarter. After the breakfast, we can climb out of the village bowl above Shyanbochce to enjoy the spectacular panorama of Khumbu Peaks such as Mount Everest Amadablam, Lhotse, Tawoche, Peak 38 and Thasherku . We can also visit the Sherpa Museum at National Park headquarter to explore the interesting information about Sherpa Lifestyle and mountaineering.

Day 06 : Namche Bazaar to Dole (4090m)

On the journey from Namche Bazaar to Dole via Khumjung is filled with the opportunity to get of unique wildlife such as pheasants, mountain goats and musk deers. The uphill trail to Dole consists of long granite staircases built into cliffs. A panoramic view of several peaks, especially Ama Dablam makes the trail very pleasant. Our trek today follows a smooth trail with few ups and downs with the magnificent view of the Himalayas will accompany us throughout the day. The trail goes gradually down up to Kyangjuma. The path eventually reaches Sanasa, which is the junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp. We trek gradually up through the Mongla Pass (3975 m) from where we can view the outstanding view of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Tawoche and Mt. Khumbila. We descend to the Dudh Koshi River and cross a bridge to walk through a beautiful rhododendron forest which is a host for rare wildlife such as the Himalayan wild deer and musk deer. We descent steeply passing through the Phortse Tenga where we will enjoy a delicious meal. Further, the trail climbs steeply to Dole, through rhododendron and birch forest festooned with hanging mosses and lichens.

Day 07: Dole to Machhermo (4410m)

We start our trail from Dole with a steady climb up through a scenic ridge offering us good views of Cho Oyu, Kantega, and Thamserku. The trail passes through several summer settlements and a small settlement of Luza (4340 m). We continue walking along the hillside above the roaring Dudh Koshi river until we reach Macchermo. Machhermo is the last major settlement on the way up to Gokyo. It was here that a yeti had supposedly killed three yaks and attacked a Sherpa woman . This is the most credible yeti incident ever reported (4 hrs).

Day 08: Machhermo to Gokyo (4750m)

We start our trek by climbing a ridge which will reward us with a beautiful view of of both down the valley and of Thamserku, Mt. Kangtega, and northern part to the Cho-Oyu (8153m). Further from the ridge, the valley widens as the trail passes through a Chorten and reaches Pangka (4390m). The trail beyond Pangka drops briefly to climb a large cave known as Nilibuk. We climb a steep stairs along a narrow trail to cross a wooden bridge which leads us to the first lake, Longponga (4650). We walk on a leveled trail to the second lake. The mesmerizing sight of the second lake, Taboche Tsho with the shimmering turquoise blue sheet of water sparkling in the sun leaves us awed. Gokyo village is a collection of stone houses and walled pastures on the shores of a large lake called Dudh Pokhari. The village sets a spectacular sight as it stands by the stunning lake and Cho-Oyu Mountain in the background. (4 hrs)

Day 09: Hike to Gokyo Ri / Rest day in Gokyo

Gokyo is renowned for its marvelous views and beautiful shimmering high altitude lakes. We climb to Gokyo Ri for one of the most spectacular panorama of Cho Oyu, Gyanchung Kang, Everest, Lothse, Makalu, Chalatse and Tawachee. Gokyo valley has 6 beautiful lakes, we can spend the day visiting the other three lakes which we have not yet come across. The stay at Gokyo Ri for the second night not only aids the body with proper acclimatization, but also rewards the trekkers with superb view of lakes and mountains. (4 hrs)

Day 10: Gokyo to Phortse Village

We walk start our trek to Phortse using a route different from the one we had used earlier. We follow the eastern side of the valley to gain different views of Khumbila. We climb across the terminal moraine of the Ngozumpa Glacier to reach the village of Na (4400m). The descent from Na along the eastern side of the Dudh Koshi Valley leads us to the village of Phortse. (7hrs.)

Day 11: Phortse to Kyangjuma (3680 m)

We head toward the east of the Phortse village on the rough trail of the ridges viewing the fantastic sceneries of Amadablam. We visit the Pangboche Monastery, which is the oldest Monastery in this region. The track joins the regular route to Everest Base Camp in the new Pangboche from where we begin walking towards south crossing the Imjastse. We pass through a nunnery and rhododendron and birch forest to reach Tyangboche Monastery. We enjoy our lunch at Tyangboche before we settle down to the Phungi Tenga. We cross a suspension bridge to walk uphill to Kyangjuma ending the trek with the close views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Thamsherku and Amadablam Mountains.(6 hrs)

Day 12 : Kyangjuma to Monjo

We descend from Kyangjuma to Monjo via Namche Bazaar. We can notice that we are travelling more distance as we are losing altitude. We descend steeply to the Dudh Koshi River and continue our way past the national Park Checkpoint at Monjo. We spend our night in Monjo near the Checkpoint. (4 hrs)

Day 13: Monjo to Lukla

We retrace our way back to Lukla from Monjo. We walk along the Dudh Koshi River to take a final ascent from Chheplung to Lukla. We can spend our last night in the Everest region in Lukla chatting with our helpful guide and porters who have been with us for the entire trek. Lukla is famous for its end of the trek celebrations. After a joyful celebration, we will settle down early to prepare for the early morning flight to Kathmandu tomorrow.

Day 14: Fly Lukla to Kathmandu

This is indeed the time we need to say farewell to the Everest region. We take an early flight from Lukla to Kathmandu appreciating the eastern Himalayas for the last time. We get transported to a comfortable hotel in Kathmandu, where we can once again enjoy the worldly pleasure of the internet, warm water, financial institutions and delightful varieties of food. This is a perfect day to relax your muscles in a pool or a spa in Kathmandu.

Day 15: Leisure in Kathmandu

Today we have a leisure day in Kathmandu. This is indeed the time to visit to the places we have missed in our earlier visit or go for souvenir hunting. Kathmandu boasts numerous temples and palaces with both spiritual and architectural value. Himalayan Eco Treks and Travel provides extra transportation facility around Kathmandu Valley.

Day 16: Departure Kathmandu

Our Adventurous Journey in this country ends today. Although we bid goodbye to our new found friends and the Himalayan country, the pleasant memories of the adventure in the land will sure to last for years to come. Himalayan Eco Treks and Travel- Nepal is always happy to serve you with Himalayan adventure in Nepal, Tibet, India and Bhutan.

Nepal Trekkingoffers the best way of experiencing country and its people ‘warts and all’. However it can be very handy if you have brief knowledge about where you are going for a trek. Hence our team has summed up with some very useful information about Nepal Trekking.